A HEROIC soldier battled massive waves to save two children in a double rescue on a windswept beach.

First Sgt Robert Jones, from Old Colwyn, fought a sudden riptide to pull out a little girl in trouble just off the beach at Ouens Bay on the island of Jersey.

Then the exhausted dad-of-two again risked his life to swim 400m out to sea to save a boy swept up in a raging swell.

Robert, who has served with the Welsh Guards in war-torn Iraq, Bosnia and Northern Ireland, feared for his life when he dived in to help.

The 36-year-old was enjoying a beach barbecue on Sunday during a family break with his wife Hayley, 33, and daughter Casey, five, when the party of paddlers got into trouble.

At 8.40pm at the popular surfing spot, the sea suddenly swelled and a ferocious riptide swept out three adults and two young children. After hearing 12-year-old Abi Chapman cry for help, RAF Valley-based Army recruitment officer Robert ran into the ice cold water to the rescue.

The water had come in fast. They shouted they were in trouble, said Robert.

I didnt think the waves would be that bad, it was like somebody was pulling me. The waves were up to 10ft high.I got to the girl, she was screaming. The waves were crashing over us and we were 100m out at this point I shouted to the woman and boy Id be back to help them.

After struggling against the tide for 15 minutes Robert managed to drag freezing cold Abi back to the beach.

Meanwhile, a group of surfers had got into trouble trying to reach 10-year-old Tyler Ryan who was by now hundreds of metres from the shore. Robert, who also has a son Jack, 10, strapped a surfers board to his ankle and swam out a second time. I was exhausted after 15 minutes in the water, he said. The waves by now were about 12ft. I paddled out on the board but the waves kept crashing over me. I didnt think I was going to make it, I was scared but somehow I spotted Tyler. I got him on the board, but when I turned round we were that far out I couldnt see land.

I was terrified but told him to calm down. He was freezing and every two to three seconds waves were crashing into us and we had to hold our breath.

At this point Robert thought there was no way back until they were suddenly carried towards the shore by a large wave.

It came over us like the hand of God. We both started screaming come on. Without that wave taking us I dont think we would have made it.

Both children were later released from hospital after being treated for hypothermia and exhaustion.